Luigi Mangione confessed in court on Friday to the fatal shooting of health insurance executive Brian Thompson and pleaded guilty to two federal charges of stalking the CEO with the intention to kill him.
“I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan, resulting in his death,” Mangione stated. Dressed in beige prison attire, he spoke calmly and clearly while delivering a prepared statement that criticized the U.S. health insurance system.
Thompson’s widow, along with other family members, sat in the front row of the courtroom gallery. Mangione’s admission of shooting Thompson led to an emotional reaction from Thompson’s widow, who was comforted by two women seated beside her.
By pleading guilty, Mangione avoided a federal trial in the high-profile case involving the killing of the 50-year-old UnitedHealthcare CEO. The brazen crime, which drew public condemnation, symbolized the frustrations of many Americans with the practices of the health insurance industry.
At 28 years old, Mangione entered his plea without a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, leaving no assurance that accepting responsibility would result in leniency during sentencing. Prosecutors indicated their intention to seek the maximum penalty of life imprisonment during his sentencing scheduled for December 18.
U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett can take Mangione’s guilty plea into account as a mitigating factor when determining his punishment. Additionally, the federal guilty plea enabled Mangione’s legal team to file a motion to dismiss separate state charges of murder and weapons possession, arguing against facing punishment twice for the same actions under New York’s double jeopardy law.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald emphasized that no special treatment or concessions were made to Mangione by his office. McDonald reiterated to the press that no grievance or ideological motive could justify murder.
Thompson’s family viewed the guilty plea as a crucial step toward justice and urged the court to ensure that the sentencing reflects the seriousness of the crime.
Brian Thompson, who formerly led the insurance division of Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group, was fatally shot outside a hotel during an investor conference on December 4, 2024. Graphic footage of the incident and a five-day manhunt for the suspect turned the case into a prominent media event and social media phenomenon, culminating in Mangione’s arrest in Pennsylvania.
In his courtroom statement, Mangione recounted facing challenges with his insurance company after sustaining a back injury, although he did not provide specific details. He described how he impersonated a wealthy investor to gather information about UnitedHealthcare’s 2024 conference, which he used to plan Thompson’s killing.
UnitedHealth Group expressed gratitude to law enforcement for apprehending Thompson’s killer.
Mangione, who had previously pleaded not guilty to federal charges of murder, weapons possession, and stalking, saw the murder and weapons charges dismissed due to legal technicalities in January 2026. He faced separate state charges of terrorism, murder, weapons possession, and forgery, with a trial set for September 8 before Justice Gregory Carro in Manhattan.
Mangione’s legal team contended that proceeding with the state case would violate his constitutional rights, citing the Fifth Amendment’s protection against double jeopardy. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office affirmed its commitment to seeking justice for Thompson and his family, indicating readiness to contest the defense’s motions.
New York’s double jeopardy law includes exceptions for crimes with distinct elements or aims, potentially complicating efforts to proceed with a trial in the state case. Defense lawyer and former Manhattan prosecutor Catherine Christian pointed out the challenge state prosecutors may face in arguing for the trial’s continuation due to the similarities in intent between the stalking and murder charges.
The prosecution may emphasize the differing legal statutes, while the defense could assert that both charges revolve around the intention to kill, a contention that Christian suggested could pose a legal challenge for the state prosecutors.